A wide range of mobile personal devices are available to consumers for use in communicating with others, accessing information, collecting data, and organizing a multitude of tasks. For example, cell phones, electronic organizers, personal computers, MP3 players, and digital cameras all have achieved a significant level of market uptake. Further, some multi-function products have been introduced that combine two or more of these devices into a single unit. For example, smart phones can be configured to provide voice communication in conjunction with personal computer functionality that supports access to one or more data sources, including e-mail and network resources.
Additionally, specific purpose devices or sensors also are available for collecting data associated with a user, including health, location, activity, and fitness/wellness data. Data can be collected by a special purpose sensor worn or otherwise attached to a user. For example, glucose monitors collect data associated with blood sugar and pedometers collect data relating to activity. Further, portable heart monitors can be used to detect and record heart rate over a period of time, such that the results can be analyzed for trends and performance over time.
The data collected by a specific purpose sensor can be provided to a specialized application for analysis and feedback, such as a dedicated application hosted on a personal computer. Typically, the device housing the specific purpose sensor is coupled to a computer on which the specialized application is hosted and the collected data is transferred, e.g., via a wired data connection. The specialized application can then process the collected data to produce results and feedback in a form that is intelligible to the user. The specialized application generally is configured to process data corresponding to a single specific purpose sensor that relates to a single subject or system, such as glucose levels or heart rate.